TVB Drama "Ruse of Engagement" Starring Ruco Chan as Lead Role

Produced by Amy Wong (王心慰), TVB’s upcoming action thriller, Ruse of Engagement <叛逃>, completed its filming last September. However, a release date for the drama is still undetermined, and there are speculations that the drama may be put in the warehouse. But with the theme song already produced, and a music video already filmed, TVB may be planning for it to have an end-of-year or early 2013 release instead.

Starring Ruco Chan (陳展鵬), Ron Ng (吳卓羲), Aimee Chan (陳茵媺), Yoyo Mung (蒙嘉慧), and Louise Lee (李司棋), Ruse of Engagement is Ruco Chan’s first lead role with TVB since 2011’s The Other Truth <真相>. Ruco portrays “Chong Yau Ching,” an officer from the fictional Anti-Terrorist Force (inspired by the real-life Counter Terrorism Response Unit) of the Hong Kong Police Force. His loyal younger brother “Chong Yau Kit,” portrayed by Ron, was a former paramilitary officer from the Special Duties Unit. Ruco’s superintendent later convinces him to go undercover on a mission, forcing him to sever ties with Ron.

After the synopsis of Ruse of Engagement was released, Ron’s fans became furious with the casting, arguing that Ruco’s darker and conflict-driven character will “outshine” Ron’s more passive role. In addition, Ruco will be involved in a triangle relationship with both Aimee Chan and Yoyo Mung, while Ron will be “in the sidelines,” hoping for a chance to have Aimee notice him. Ron’s fans bitterly called Ron a “cannon fodder” – an expendable person. Some vocal fans even created petitions to have Ruco kicked out of the production.

Nonetheless, both Ron and Ruco did not feel too dampened by the controversy caused by their fans, and the two actors got along very well on set.

In a recent interview with Astro Touch, Ruco briefly talked about his filming experiences on the set of Ruse of Engagement. Being one of his first lead roles, Ruco confessed that filming for Ruse of Engagement was one of his most nerve-wracking experiences since joining the industry. A drama fully packed with action, there were many cases in which the actors would be subjected to injuries.

Almost Gets Stabbed by a Nail

In one of Ruse of Engagement’s most publicized set photos, it shows Ruco tossing a pack of explosives in the air. According to the calculations, the bomb was supposed to explode after at least 7 seconds, but the bomb went out in 3 seconds. Despite the time variance, Ruco handled the scene well and was not hurt.

Ruco exclaimed that the bomb scene was not his most dangerous stunt in the drama. He revealed, “There was one scene where I was to save Aimee. We were in a room surrounded by glass, and there were nailed wooden planks to support them. When it was time for the explosion, there were pieces of wood flying towards my body! Luckily, the side with the nails hanging out was not facing me.”

Ruco: “It’s a Bitterly Sweet Production”

Although filming for Ruse of Engagement had been laborious, Ruco did not regret the difficult experience and felt very accomplished after production was completed. He said, “There are not many chances to be able to film a drama with such a heavy ‘male-flavored’ tone. Although it has been very stressful and difficult, I have learned a lot more than I have suffered. It’s a sweet experience.

“When you go through rough journeys, your experiences will become unyielding memories. On the other hand, if your journey had been smooth and easy, there won’t be many things worth remembering. That’s why I consider Ruse of Engagement to be a bitterly sweet production.”